Overview
Who is it for?
The Global Supply Chain Management degree is for you if you want to learn about the latest thinking and business practices in global supply chain management generally. It is not suitable if you’re already very experienced and looking to specialise.
You must have a general interest in various supply chain processes including procurement, logistics and supply chain analytics.
You may hold a bachelor’s degree in business, engineering or social sciences and either have a basic level of understanding of statistics or be up to the challenge of learning more about quantitative analysis.
"My MSc gave me a 360-degree view of businesses that have supply chain at their core and broadened my career opportunities." Alumnus Panos Efraimoglou took this master's degree when it was called MSc in Supply Chain, Trade and Finance.
Understanding the complexities of global supply chains
Objectives
On graduation, you’ll have a 360º perspective of global supply chains, an essential first step in building your career in the discipline.
You’ll be ready to identify the opportunities and risks facing supply chains and provide both strategic and analytical tools to manage them.
All based on the most recent academic research and innovative current business practices.
In this most global of sectors you’ll be equipped with cultural sensitivity, and effective business communication, networking and time management skills.
Structure
What will you learn
On the Global Supply Chain Management master’s course, you will:
- Develop your knowledge and understanding of key supply chain subjects ranging from procurement and operations to supply chain analytics.
- Experience a range of international perspectives from your collaboration with peers from up to 20 countries.
- Demonstrate a systematic understanding of the internal and external factors affecting successful supply chain management.
- Formulate decisions in complex, interrelated areas of supply chain, finance, operations, management and strategy.
- Analyse international business trends that shape global supply chain thinking from businesses around the world.
Term one
Five core modules (30 hours each)
Essentials of Accounting and Finance
- 10 credits
- 18 hours over ten weeks in lectures or workshops
- 8 hours per week self-directed study
The aim of this module is to equip you with an understanding of the most common accounting and finance techniques and practices, and will include the use of published company reports and accounts, and other internally generated information, that enables management to make decisions and control operations.
Strategy for Delivering Value
- 15 credits
- 30 hours over ten weeks in lectures
- 12 hours per week self-directed study
Strategic analysis is a fundamental activity in a modern organisation, particularly in today’s turbulent environment.
Relevant and accurate industry and competitor analysis is required by firms in order to gain an insight into what they must do to succeed. Similarly, resource and capability analysis is required to throw light onto what firms can do to ensure success.
In preparing for your future role as managers who will be involved in supply chain and marketing related decision making, you will need the relevant core concepts and ideas delivered here as part of your toolkit.
Supply Chain Analytics I
- 15 credits
- 30 hours over ten weeks in lectures
- 12 hours per week self-directed study
This module introduces you to some important methods relevant to supply chain management from the fields of analytics, particularly descriptive and predictive analytics.
Supply Chain Analysis II will develop the third element of analytics, namely prescriptive analytics. Some principal analytical methods for understanding data related to various aspects of managing a supply chain are investigated.
In many instances, the application of analytics may improve the quality of business decisions, by grounding those decisions in analyses of available data rather than the gut feelings or preferences of decision makers.
Managing Operations
- 15 credits
- 30 hours over ten weeks in lectures
- 12 hours per week self-directed study
The aim of the Managing Operations module is to introduce you to a range of operations-related decisions and to provide you with the skills necessary to apply various frameworks to operational situations and assess their relevance, strengths and weaknesses under different scenarios.
The value of an interdisciplinary approach to operations management will be stressed.
Supply Chain Management
- 10 credits
- 18 hours over ten weeks in lectures or workshops
- 8 hours per week self-directed study
This module is offered to provide you with a basic understanding of supply chain management as a foundation for understanding more advanced supply chain management (SCM) concepts.
Term two
Five core modules (30 hours each)
Research Design
15 hours
- 10 credits
- 21 hours over ten weeks in lectures or tutorials
- 8 hours per week self-directed study
This module aims to offer a set of analytical and methodological tools that will be fundamental for carrying out research projects based on empirical data.
These tools are fundamental to your future career, whatever research project based on empirical data you are called to do in your future job.
Project Management
- 10 credits
- 15 hours over ten weeks in lectures
- 8 hours per week self-directed study
Through the acquisition of a range of ‘soft’ and ‘hard’ tools or techniques, and linking theory to live projects, this course aims to provide you with a sound understanding and knowledge of concepts and analytical skills underpinning effective project management.
Case studies will be used to illustrate the challenges of managing projects in real-world settings.
Global Procurement
- 15 credits
- 30 hours over ten weeks in lectures
- 12 hours per week self-directed study
The aim of this Global Procurement module is to introduce you to the range of issues and related decisions that procurement managers have to face.
Through the examination of core procurement principles, frameworks and tools, you will gain an understanding of how to plan and execute a procurement strategy that supports corporate goals and broader business objectives.
This module examines activities which are central to the strategic management of procurement such as:
- Management of the purchasing process
- Supplier relationship management
- Category management
- Negotiation
- Commodity planning
- Cost, price, and value analysis
- Purchasing ethics.
Supply Chain Finance
- 15 credits
- 30 hours over ten weeks in lectures
- 12 hours per week self-directed study
The aims for this module are for you to understand what role finance plays in supply chain management and how, including the specific techniques that are used by the industry and banks.
More specifically, you will explore various supply chain finance related issues such as 1) structured finance, 2) role of finance in competitiveness of supply chain, and 3) supply chain finance performance indexes.
Supply Chain Analytics II
- 15 credits
- 30 hours over ten weeks in lectures
- 12 hours per week self-directed study
Whereas Supply Chain Analytics 1 focused on descriptive and predictive analytics, this module extends predictive analytics and introduces prescriptive analytics.
The optimal management of demand forecasting, inventory, service provision and resource allocation are crucial elements in the design of efficient and effective supply chains.
This module introduces you to the analytical techniques from the discipline of management science required to be able to do this.
Term 3
Two core modules (30 hours each)
Consulting Skills for Global Supply Chain Management
18 hours
This module aims to provide students with the specific analytical consultancy skills required for supply chain management in a global context.
The aim is to help you develop a practical understanding of supply chain consultancy from the perspective of both the client and the consultant.
You will learn to apply the knowledge, tools and techniques acquired in the course to real life cases throughout the module.
You will then work on a consultancy project to develop the communication, project planning and problem-solving skills needed to perform the consultancy task and deliver the results successfully.
Business Sustainability
18 hours
You will learn about the complex social, ethical and environmental responsibilities of business organisations towards a range of stakeholders and explore these responsibilities from both the internal process perspective and the external consumer/society perspective.
You will also examine the challenges and requirements of building sustainable products and sustainable supply-chains across a wide range of contexts with a focus on the practical application to real-world business situations.
You will then choose to do a Business Research Project and one elective, or choose to study four electives
Business Research Project
The optional Business Research Project will be of approximately 8,000 words. This offers an opportunity to specialise in a contemporary supply chain topic related to students' future careers. The Project should be based on independent research either in the context of a single organisation or using third-party sources.
You are encouraged from the start of the course to think about a topic for your Project. A member of academic staff supervises the project, and you may choose whom you would like to work with.
The Project must be submitted by the end of August. Company sponsored projects are encouraged and a number of such projects may be available.
Many students use this opportunity to complete a project in conjunction with an organisation they might want to work for.
This gets your foot in the door and can lead to permanent employment post programme, whilst earning course credit.
Electives offered in 2018
- Driving Supply Chain Innovation through Technology
- Innovation in Organisations
- Political Risk Management
- Project Leadership
- Retail Supply Chain Management
- Chartering
- Innovation in Shipping
- Shipping Law
- Shipping Strategy
- Supply Chain Risk and Resilience
See the full MSc Global Supply Chain Management programme specification
Assessment methods
Assessment
We review all our courses regularly to keep them up-to-date on issues of both theory and practice.
To satisfy the requirements of the degree course students must complete:
- twelve core courses (10 - 15 credits each) and
- a Business Research Project (30 credits) and one elective (10 credits) or
- four electives (10 credits each)
Assessment of modules on the MSc in Global Supply Chain Management, in most cases, is by means of coursework and unseen examination.
Coursework may consist of standard essays, individual and group presentations, group reports, classwork, unseen tests and problem sets. Please note that any group work may include an element of peer assessment.
The course consists of compulsory core modules, as well as a choice of electives, including some international elective options in term three.
The course commences in September with a Foundations of Management workshop which prepares students with some of the concepts necessary to complete the course, and includes careers and professional skills development workshops.
Induction weeks
The course commences in September with an induction programme which includes careers and professional skills development workshops.
Term dates
Term dates 2018/19
In-Person ID Checks (all students must attend): Commences 17 September 2018
Compulsory Induction: 17 - 28 September 2018
Term I
1 October 2018 - 14 December 2018
Term I exams
7 January 2019 - 18 January 2019
Term II
21 January 2019 - 5 April 2019
Term II exams
22 April 2019 - 3 May 2019
Term III
5 May 2019 - 2 July 2019
Term III exams
1 July 2019 - 12 July 2019
Resit period
Students who are required to resit an examination or invigilated test will do so in the period:
12 - 30 August 2019
Submission deadline for Business Research Project or Applied Research Project
2 September 2019
Official Course End Date
30 September 2019
Teaching staff
Course Directors
Academic expert working at Cass Business School.
Academic expert working at Cass Business School.
The teaching staff on the MSc in Global Supply Chain Management have many years of practical experience working in industry and are also active researchers in their fields.
This knowledge and experience inform the highly interactive lectures that make up the MSc in Supply Chain Management.
Module Leaders include:
- Dr Jay Jung
- Dr Joerg Ries
- Dr Oguz Acar
- Dr Florian Lücker
- Dr Sam Kamuriwo
- Jens Roehrich
- Dimitris Paraskevopolous
- Dr Sebastian Mena
- Professor Bobby Banerjee
Application
How to apply
Documents required for decision-making
- Transcript/interim transcript - you must supply an official transcript of your degree with your application, which includes modules from all years of your degree including those being studied in the final year. Failure to provide this will result in your application being withdrawn.
- Two references, one of which must be an academic reference
- Current module list if still studying
- CV
- Personal statement - this should be around 500 words in length and answer the following:
- Why have you selected this course? What are your motivating factors?
- What are your areas of interest within the course?
- What contributions do you feel you can make to the course?
- How do you see the course affecting your career plans?
Documents which may follow at a later date
- IELTS result
- Confirmation of professional qualification examinations/exemptions/passes, if applicable
- Work experience is not a requirement of this course
- For a successful application to receive an unconditional status all documents must be verified, so an original or certified copy of the degree transcript must be sent by post to Specialist Masters Programme Office, 106 Bunhill Row, London, EC1Y 8TZ, UK
We cannot comment on individual eligibility before you apply and we can only process your application once it is fully complete, with all requested information received.
Individual Appointments
If you would like to visit us to discuss your application please do arrange an individual appointment.
Entry requirements
- A UK upper second class degree or above, or the equivalent from an overseas institution.
- Some level of previous study in finance or quantitative methods is preferred.
English language requirements
- If you have been studying in the UK for the last three years it is unlikely that you will have to take a test
- If you have studied a 2+2 degree with just two years in the UK you will be required to provide IELTS results and possibly to resit the tests to meet our requirements.
IELTS/PTE
IELTS: The required IELTS level is an average of 7.0 with a minimum of 6.5 in the Writing section and no less than 6.0 in any other section.
Pearson Academic: The required PTE score is at least 70.
If you have not taken an IELTS/PTE test, you can still apply for the course. If you were to receive an offer, this would always be conditional upon achieving the required IELTS/PTE score for admission.
Please note that due to changes in the UKVI's list of SELTs we are no longer able to accept TOEFL as evidence of English language for students who require a CAS as of April 2014.
Fees
Fees in each subsequent year of study (where applicable) will be subject to an annual increase of 2%. We will confirm any change to the annual tuition fee to you in writing prior to you commencing each subsequent year of study (where applicable).
Deposit: £2,000 (paid within 1 month of receiving offer and non-refundable unless conditions of offer are not met)
First installment: Half fees less deposit (payable during on-line registration which should be completed at least 5 days before the in-person ID–checks)
Second installment: Half fees (paid in January following start of course)
Fees are the same for both UK and international students. Please note that fees do not include living expenses or books.
Career pathways
Our aim is to develop graduates with strong strategic supply chain knowledge and advanced analytical and consulting skills.
These characteristics are highly valued across industry sectors. For this reason, you would continue your careers in a diverse set of sectors from retail to consulting to production to logistics.
Some examples of where our graduates from the MSc in Global Supply Chain Management started their post-graduate career:
- Amazon – E-commerce Brand Specialist
- KPMG UK – Technology Delivery Graduate
- Rolls-Royce - Project Management Graduate
- Novo Nordisk – Global Procurement Graduate
You can also view data from our Graduate Destination Survey (pdf) from 2015
Course information and statistics
Accreditation
This degree has been accredited by The Chartered Institute of Logistics and Transport (CILT,UK) and offers full exemption from the educational requirements for Chartered Membership.